


Not quite the way it seems

by theboynamedcrow



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24093661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theboynamedcrow/pseuds/theboynamedcrow
Summary: Lio felt something burn inside of him, as strongly as the first time his flames awakened; something visceral he couldn’t quite place –or he could, and he didn’t like what it meant.-In which Kray's name triggers Lio's jealousy, but Galo Thymos is always full of surprises.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 16
Kudos: 165





	Not quite the way it seems

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emzer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emzer/gifts).



> Commission for my lovely fiancé who adores these nerds as much as I do. Hope you enjoy it!

The city clean-up was done relatively quickly at surface level, the ever sleepless Promepolis joining their efforts for the common goal of returning to some semblance of normality. The debris, at least, had been cleared; posts, signs and streets had been mended, straightened, repainted; and yet, the skeleton of the Parnassus still stood proud and crooked as a bitter reminder to some, a graveyard to others. Nothing dared to grow on the barren lands surrounding it, as if not even nature was interested on reclaiming such thing.

It wasn’t as easy to clean up what was underneath. The seeds of hatred that had been growing for over three decades against those who once carried flames within them, the cracks in a flawed system that segregated almost half the world population and now struggled to integrate it. Housing projects, education, employment programs, and the creation and enforcement of solid anti-discrimination laws for the ex-burnish were things that required time, effort, and the wits to snatch funds from dirty politicians and corporate leaders with little interest for actual change.

Lio’s work was far from over.

As an exchange for his help mobilizing the abled ex-burnish to aid Burning Rescue with the restoration, he was offered a temporary desk at their headquarters. It was a small space, mildly stained with motor oil, scribbled everywhere with what he could only assume were Lucia’s calculations, and with a haphazardly ripped off sticker he recognized to be the color palette of Kray’s old re-election campaign (Lio appreciated the gesture).

It wasn’t much, but it gave him access to the latest technology and allowed him to get things done at a quicker pace. Which is what he intended to do. What he _tried_ to do, no matter how much sleep he needed to sacrifice or how many meals he’d have to skip if that meant he could get all his people away from the sand wastes at least by the end of the year.

It was a good deal, it was effective –what Lio didn’t consider, though, was Galo Thymos. And Galo Thymos had been a wild card from the start. No matter how unfriendly of a disposition Lio would put up just so he’d be left alone to complete his tasks, Galo would drag him for meals, he’d turn the light switch of his office on and off until he agreed to sleep, even when he had eye bags himself after a night shift.

He didn’t regard Lio as a boss, or a coworker, or a controversy, or even a curiosity, just _Lio_ –“Lio, come on! Live a little! Not everything’s work, you’ll grow wrinkles!” He’d say the very first time he finally convinced him to stay for a games and pizza night with the squad, hugging him by the shoulder a little too hard, a little too casually, inadvertently crushing the thin layer of ice still encompassing him after the war one imprudent comment at a time.

One get-together became two, three. Sometimes no one else from the squad joined them for their meetings –as unaware as Galo seemed of it, Lio suspected this not to always be a coincidence, judging by the twinkle in Lucia’s eyes. He honestly didn’t know what to think of it, but regardless, he couldn’t deny that those were the times he looked forward to the most. Because without Ignis to keep an eye on him and the rest of his team to egg him on, Galo was less the greater-than-life loud firefighter and more just _Galo_. The kind-hearted idiot who was too honest for his own good, who would chat him up until he fell asleep, who would scratch the back of his neck and laugh awkwardly any time Lio said something too blunt.

Lio enjoyed Galo’s company, maybe more than he was ready to admit. And when Galo wasn’t annoying him at his desk after a certain amount of hours, Lio would find himself looking up from his laptop, disappointed –just because he’d gotten so used to it, he claimed.

Today, for better or worse, was not one of those days. Today Galo held Lio’s laptop high up above his head, a shit-eating grin on his face as he took advantage of their height difference to antagonize him. Lio _could_ kick behind his knee, but he didn’t want to risk the laptop being destroyed in the process, and so he was reduced to frowning and stretching unfruitfully to try and reach it. “Galo! Give that back right now! This is important!”

“Nope! You’re not supposed to work during lunch _break_. You can fetch it in the kitchen!” Galo retorted, already heading towards it, while Lio pulled on his jacket in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him.

“I’m not an official member, I don’t have a schedule! And I already ate!”

“Black coffee ain’t lunch!” To this, Lio responded with a more agile jump that Galo barely dodged, making him almost trip over Remi, who seemed tired of their daily feuds and muttered something about a lover’s spat under his breath (which Lio tactically ignored). “Besides, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, am I right?”

Galo was certainly onto something, but Lio still managed to trap him against the edge of the large dinner table. “You’re cornered.”

Aina and Lucia, who were sitting on the opposite side and only wanted to eat in peace, shared a look.

“Galo, give his laptop back,” Aina started after a long, deep sigh. Galo looked almost offended at the lack of support on his quest. Lio seemed satisfied. “And Lio, just give up and have some stew.”

Lio sighed, letting his shoulders fall. He, admittedly, was usually quicker to give in, knowing how stubborn Galo could be and preferring to avoid entertaining a show like this, but today was an important day. It was a busy day. “Fine,” he said, arms crossed, “but hand me the laptop first. I’ll finish while I eat.”

Galo almost _pouted_. “But…”

“I didn’t want to resort to this, but I guess I have no choice.” He smirked, pulling off one of his gloves, his fingers opening and closing as they slowly approached Galo’s stomach –Lucia had let it slip that he was ticklish once, and Lio saved this information for whenever it’d come in handy.

“Hey, hey, hey-!!” Galo protested, looking comically distressed. He started laughing even before Lio’s hand reached his stomach, and at some point they were practically wrestling.

Until Galo stopped.

There was abrupt silence, and the smile had vanished from his face in a second. That’s when Lio realized he was looking at the flatscreen TV on the wall. Archive images and videos of Kray Foresight flashed one after another as a reporter announced the date of his trial had been decided, listing all of the charges he’d be facing and the speculation of a possible life sentence.

Lio was the first to break silence.

“Galo–”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Galo was fast to interrupt him, giving a smile that didn’t reach his eyes completely. The guy was good at many things, but lying wasn’t one of them. He patted Lio’s shoulder a little too softly, a little too formally. And Lio felt something _burn_ inside of him, as strongly as the first time his flames awakened; something visceral he couldn’t quite place –or he could, and he didn’t like what it meant. “Ahh haha! I think I forgot something at the workshop. Catch you guys later. Eat up!”

He left the laptop and fled the premises before anyone could say a word, and whatever was left of Lio’s appetite was gone for the day.

-

Lio knew best than to go after someone who’s on edge, and yet, he could only get three spoons of stew down before he was excusing himself from the table and tracking down the headquarters for Galo’s whereabouts. He didn’t know what he was doing and he certainly had no words of comfort to give –he hated Kray’s guts, and Galo was well aware of this. But the idea of letting Foresight wipe the smile off Galo’s face even months after the incident bugged him to no end. It was, he stubbornly decided, just a matter of _pride_.

He found Galo preparing his bike. Just in time.

“Going for a ride?”

Galo jumped in place. He clearly wasn’t expecting to be caught. Scratching his neck, an apologetic smile adorned his features. “Yeah.” What Lio didn’t expect, either, was for Galo to throw a helmet in his direction, which he caught with ease, confusion written all over his face. “Wanna come?”

“You want _me_ to tag along?”

“Well, why not?” Galo shrugged. “You were either going to try to coax me into staying or follow me anyways. Might as well enjoy the ride.”

Lio felt his face heat, having his intentions laid out so clearly like that. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that even though Galo acted like an idiot most of the time, he was incredibly perceptive. The unfinished letter in his laptop did cross his mind, making him hesitate from what would otherwise have been a no brainer, but what the hell; he was already behind on work as it was, and if he let this pass, he knew the issue would drain him out of every bit of concentration for the rest of the day, anyways.

“I guess you’re not wrong,” Lio conceded, adjusting the helmet while Galo got himself a spare one.

The ride was a smooth one, although much longer than expected. Soon enough, the buzz of the city was drowned by the whistle of the wind on the long stretch of road until buildings became fewer and far in between, slowly being replaced by tall greenery.

At some point, the smell of rust and smoke lingered in the air even while gracefully disguised with the aroma of pine cones. Sure enough, they passed by the Parnassus, its ominous carcass looming in the distance behind the tall trees. They quickly left it behind, though, entering a much hazardous, uneven path where cement became dirt and rocks. Lio felt Galo’s shoulders jostle slightly when he held onto him to avoid getting launched into the ground (just a matter of practicality), feeling the tips of his ears prickle as he wondered if it was really necessary to drive this far.

It took Lio a while to realize he recognized this place very well. They parked somewhere next to a particularly tall tree, and didn’t have to walk long before the view of the huge crater that used to be a lake stretched before them, breathtaking in a different way than what Lio imagined must have looked before. It was incredible to think he’d once had the power to melt and evaporate the whole thing. The thought made him nostalgic.

Even at the heart of spring, it was cold. Lio crossed his arms, bracing himself for the warmth he’d sorely missed. Perhaps it wouldn’t take long after summer before it was flooded and frosting again.

“I used to come here to cool off,” Galo spoke, stretching his muscles after the long drive. Lio gathered the will to not look more than necessary. “Hadn’t returned since that day. Phew! We made quite the change of scenery, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Lio allowed himself to smile, a tinge of pride in his eyes. “But was it really necessary to come all this way? I thought you let out your frustrations antagonizing Remi on Mario Kart.”

Galo snorted, a hand placed triumphantly on his hip. “I’ll have you know he refuses to go against me again!” And then, with a more introspective note, “and this is different.”

Lio was confused when Galo walked dangerously close to the edge of the crater, until he sat crossed legged, looking at Lio over his shoulder and patting the dirt next to him, lifting little clouds in the air. Once again, Lio sighed and decided that, since he’d come all this way, he might as well not complain about dusty pants. He settled next to Galo, one knee propped up to support his chin while his other leg hanged loosely by the edge.

“How is it different?” Lio asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Hey, you’re not the only one who can get a bad temper.” And at that, Galo earned a nudge to his arm. “Rather than taking it out on everyone else, I’d prefer yelling it to the trees, y’know? I could also ice skate back when it was frozen. Guess I can forget about that for a good while though. Now it’s just–” his eyes lit up when a thought crossed his head, and he turned to look at Lio a little too fast. “Think we could use this as a motocross circuit?”

For a second there, the side of him that let himself be too easily carried away by Galo’s antics was triggered. It wasn’t a terrible idea. “I– We _could_. Yes.” Lio nodded, examining the almost perfectly bowl-shaped carving. “But I thought you wanted to yell at the trees.”

Galo didn’t even try to disguise the pout on his lips, blood rising to give a rosy tint to his tanned skin. He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, that’d be a little awkward if you’re staring, right?”

The sincerity made Lio laugh. It was much easier for him, these days. “When have you ever been shy when it comes to being loud?” Galo’s pout only seemed to intensify, and at the same time, Lio’s smile slowly faded as he remembered what brought them here in the first place. “It’s awkward because it’s about Kray.”

Lio’s boldness caused Galo to gape, not quite sure of how to respond but not really wanting to deny it. In the end, he pursed his lips and crossed his arms, giving Lio a sort of pitiful look. “Cut me some slack here.”

“That’s what you came to talk about, right?” He said, as a matter of fact. “That’s why you asked me to tag along.”

“Why would I-?” Galo’s face twisted like he’d just smelled a rotten egg. “No.”

“Then why?” Lio himself didn’t know why he was acting so defensive. He’d have thought that months after what happened, when Kray became nothing more than another sad, overprinted headline, a cautionary tale at most, the name would stop burning at the back of his throat, setting his every nerve ablaze; but it seemed not to be the case, and that only served to piss Lio off even more.

“Because I like having you around, jeez!” Galo spat, poking Lio right in the forehead. And Lio would have protested, was it not for the way his heart had tugged at the words, suddenly feeling embarrassed of his own hastiness. “Do you always have to be such a skeptic?”

Galo returned to crossing his arms petulantly –just as embarrassed–, and Lio mirrored him, if only to shield himself from the cold already seeping into his bones after sitting still for too long. He could blame the same cold breeze for the light flush on his face. “Yeah, well…” He started, and stopped when he realized he really had no suitable comeback. The silence was stretched too long until Lio felt eyes on him.

“Sorry.”

Lio arched a brow. “Don’t be ridiculo– “

“No, not that,” Galo interrupted, staring Lio up and down. “I should have told you to bring an extra jacket. Forgot you get cold easily.” _Perceptive_ , Lio was reminded.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he said, and while it wasn’t completely true, it also wasn’t completely false. Thin leather just didn’t cut it these days, not against the afternoon breeze by the foot of the endlessly snowy mountains; but it gave him enough cover to at least avoid becoming a shivering mess. That didn’t stop Galo from removing his own jacket, shaking his head when he saw Lio’s intentions to object, and promptly draping it over his shoulders. He gave Galo a look, but still closed the oversized jacket around him, the new warmth sending a pleasant shiver through his body. “Thanks.”

“It’s nothing. I was starting to feel stuffy already.” And by the way he squared his shoulders like he’d just gotten rid of an annoying weight, Lio knew he wasn’t just lying to appease him. “It’s funny, right?”

The change in tone suggested Galo wasn’t talking about the jacket anymore, so Lio just gave him an inquisitive look, beckoning him to elaborate.

“Funny, sad, however you wanna look at it. Kray,” he allowed the name to roll off his tongue like a bitter medicine, and turned his gaze to the scenery, lost God knows where, “all this time he was everything to me. Everything I did was to make him proud, and yet, I was nothing but a nuisance to him. He wanted me dead, hell, he wanted all of your people _and_ the whole planet dead. But still… I can’t hate him, Lio. It just makes me sad, you know? He thought he was doing the right thing, only that his definition of right was fucked up beyond measure…”

Ah, there it was again. That barely contained fury that made his chest ache and his fingertips tingle with the ghost of the flames that had once been part of him, threatening to spill at any given moment. Lio tried to swallow it, very aware that Galo needed support and not a lecture –perhaps Lio wasn’t fit to be the one here right now, but he still _wanted_ to.

It wasn’t Galo’s sadness that set him on edge. Lio could understand the hurt, betrayal, loss –specially the latter. What he couldn’t understand was Galo’s lingering devotion, so sincere in nature that despite Kray’s colossal display of cruelty and complete lack of empathy for human pain, he was still able to regard him as a _flawed man_ rather than a monster. Lio wondered, in the back of his mind, if he were to commit such atrocities, would Galo grant him the same grace? Would he grant it to anyone else? It was a ridiculous scenario to consider, and he had yet to understand why it made him so mad.

“What has Kray Foresight ever done to deserve such courtesy from you?” He retorted, unable to disguise the bite in his words. Galo shrugged.

“Fake or not, he raised me. I was able to join Burning Rescue because of him.”

“He raised you alright. Like cattle.” Too shaken up to sit still any longer, Lio got up on his feet, his arms crossed in defiance. “Still think he did that out of the goodness of his heart? He’s not a man who just happened to have a misguided sense of justice. He’s a calculating, genocidal psychopath who knew exactly what he was doing and the people he was sacrificing to feed his megalomania,” Lio barked, incapable of containing his furor any longer despite the muted awareness that this was just misplaced anger, that Galo didn’t really _think_ those things at all. “We _just_ crossed the Parnassus on the way here! We cleaned up so many ashes! Or you just have that shoddy of a memory that you already forgot what we saw there?!”

Galo, who’s expression had lingered from mild shock to a frown mixed with something indecipherable –hurt, most likely–, stood up firmly as well, nearly butting heads with Lio. “Hey, you’re speaking outta your butt now. You know that’s not true!”

“Then why do you continue to kiss his ass?!”

At that Galo gasped, this time actually butting heads, perhaps more forcefully than necessary, but both too fired up to back out. “I’m not kissing his ass!!” He spat back. “Why are you so hung up about it, anyways?! It’s over, we won! He’ll probably be spending the rest of his life behind bars and here you are still letting him get the better of you. Now who’s really kissing his ass?”

Galo had a point, which only added fuel to the fire and made Lio back out just enough to come charging at him again. He muttered an ‘ouch’ that would have definitely endeared Lio were they under any other circumstances. “That’s not the point!”

“Then what _is_ the point?” Galo pressed harder, their breaths mixing, voice low and earnest. “What do you _want_?”

Something in Lio clicked. What he _really_ wanted, that very instant, was to grab the collar of Galo’s shirt and close the fleeting distance that separated their mouths. Galo seemed to notice this shift too, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard, the silence stretched too long already, their closeness too overwhelming. Lio had to step back. Fast. “We need to head back.”

Still in a daze, Galo was only able to mutter an uncharacteristically quiet ‘yeah’. Everything made sense now, his whole untamed outburst of pent up frustration. _Jealousy_ , he recognized bitterly. And he’d deal with it better, come the time. But that time was not today. He swiftly removed the Burning Rescue jacket, tossing it back to Galo and making his way back to the bike first. “Let’s go.”

Galo stayed behind for just a moment, a pout back on his lips. “Fine! Don’t blame me if you get a runny nose,” he taunted under his breath, thinking Lio might already be out of earshot.

“Not a chance.”

-

The (partial) peace and quiet provided by his desk at the headquarters had spoiled Lio too much, and now, finding his focus sat on a toolbox while Gueira tested the loud motor of his second-hand bike proved to be a nearly impossible feat. He reminded himself that completing any task with Galo around after their last interaction would be equally if not _more_ challenging, and carried on to the best of his ability.

His work needed to be done. After all, it wasn’t only Galo keeping him away from the downtown of Promepolis. With Kray’s trial approaching that afternoon, even though most people had enough common sense to not side with him, there had been a sudden resurgence of anti-burnish sentiment, the most extremes factions of it mostly muted, but Lio knew better than to take these kinds of red flags lightly.

Not surprisingly, there were folks rallying up asking for Mad Burnish’s leaders to join Kray in the pit. Some ex-burnish who were ready to leave their current settlement decided to postpone plans, some were scared to get near Promepolis’ borders at all. Tensions were high –they would be until the whole media circus died down.

In the week following the trial’s announcement, Lio had received a carefully redacted email by Ignis Ex himself, the ever-righteous man he was, reiterating Burning Rescue’s support and duty to protect all citizens, and several text messages from Aina offering help ‘punching some bigots’ should the occasion arise. As much as it warmed Lio’s heart, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the radio silence coming from Galo of all people.

Had Lio pissed him off that much just because he had stepped on Kray’s toes? The thought made him frown.

“Boss,” Gueira called. Lio’s frown just deepened, not picking up the voice as he continued to get lost in his own thoughts. Gueira snapped his fingers. “Hey! Booooss?”

Lio blinked back to reality, but didn’t bother looking up from his laptop. “Hm? Are you finished with your bike?”

“Nah. Just wanted to check up on you. You were making a scary face.”

“Sorry.” Galo’s constant teasing about him growing wrinkles did cross his mind, but the attempt to relax his face must have been unsuccessful, judging by the way Gueira scrunched up his nose.

“Tense day, huh?” And week, and month, probably. “Why don’t you grab some lunch? Meis was in charge of cooking today. He acts all tough but you know he’ll totally whine if you pass from his kangaroo nuggets.”

He managed to form a small smile. Meis and Gueira both had been like this from the start. They still insisted on calling Lio boss, yet watched over him almost like a younger brother at times, although their tactics were way more subtle than Galo making him chase after his own computer. “Not now. I need to finish editing our manifesto. It’ll be published on the newspaper first hour tomorrow.”

Gueira left the tools aside, crossing his arms as he leaned on the bike. “You’ve been reading and re-reading it all day. Pretty sure it’s good to go.”

“It needs to be perfect. And we still need to go for a supply run later. Some people canceled their move so we’re running short.”

“Leave that to us! Meis and I got you covered. We have some other guys wanting to help, too, so we have plenty of hands.”

Lio gave him an inquisitive look. Even if they did keep an eye on him, they rarely ever insisted twice if Lio was set on getting his way. “What’s this about?”

“Oh man,” too much like a child who’d been caught in mischief, Gueira scratched his cheek, his foot fiddling with the remains of sand spread all over the rusty floor.

“Gueira,” Lio pressed.

“Alright, alright! But you can’t tell him I told ya. He made me pinky promise or whatever.”

“He…? Who?” It wasn’t a hard guess at all, and Lio’s pulse automatically picked up the pace.

“You know, your guy from the fire squad.” Lio _was_ going to ignore the use of the possessive pronoun for his own sanity. “Said he had a surprise. Made us make sure you’d be free later.”

“Galo? Galo Thymos?” Lio’s eyes widened, an earnest sense of excitement momentarily taking hold. “You’ve been texting?”

“That’s the one. Weird guy, but a nice lad. Kind of an idiot, though. You sure about that one, boss?”

A _very_ loaded question. He supposed Gueira was also the type to be way more intuitive than he let on. Lio smiled absently as he resumed typing. “He has his charms.”

Gueira whistled. “Shiiit, you’re forreal… Well, I don’t see why not, boss. You deserve some fun after all this. You never relax.”

Lio snorted. “You’re talking about Galo as if he’s some kind of trophy. He _has_ a say,” and with a sigh, he continued. “Things didn’t end great the last time we talked.”

It was a bit awkward, talking about it so openly when Lio hadn’t even fully admitted it to himself, and knowing his second in command had at most held a reluctant truce with the firefighter, as far as he’d been aware of. Leave it to Galo to make himself at home with any kind of people, even Lio’s strange little found family.

“You know what,” Gueira shrugged, “I wouldn’t worry too much ‘bout that.”

-

And true to his word, it wasn’t dinnertime yet when the particularly rambunctious roar of Galo’s bike was echoing inside the warehouse, the giant cloud of sand it formed as it parked making his entrance more dramatic than it needed be. Nothing short of fitting.

“Lio!” Galo called as he got off from the bike. The occasions were rare when Lio got to see him without his Burning Rescue uniform. He looked younger. “Oh, and Gueira, hey!”

“Yo!” Gueira waved a hand casually, immediately turning to look at his boss in question. Lio saved the document for the third time consecutively before setting the laptop aside, getting on his feet and walking towards the source of his headaches the whole week.

“Galo Thymos,” Lio pronounced the name while holding his gaze, unsure about whether he should feign surprise for Gueira’s sake.

“The one and only,” Galo replied, allowing himself to get closer. “Whenever you call my full name, I either did something very well or very bad.”

The way he smiled in complicity awakened something in Lio that wasn’t appropriate in front of an audience. Galo, while still painfully oblivious, still had the forethought of lowering his voice, but he was pretty sure Gueira had caught it anyways, with how he excused himself to complete whatever fictional task he first thought of.

“Guess which one is it.”

“Aw, come on!” Galo resembled a kicked puppy, and Lio needed to make a conscious effort to stand his ground. “You were being pretty mean back then too, so throw me a bone here.”

“Mean? Seriously?” It was practically impossible to stay mad at Galo. Maybe because he wasn’t _mad_ , in the first place. But that’d be a conversation for later. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, a certain someone totally went MIA on us for the entire week.”

“You could have texted me directly instead of coaxing Gueira into whatever this is.”

“Hey!! I wasn’t coaxing him, he said he wanted to he– Wait,” Galo’s eyes went wide, “did he tell you?!”

“I made him speak.”

Galo crossed his arms and gave a long, pained sigh. “That little…”

“He only told me you’d come.” At that, Galo’s eyes recovered the same spark they carried upon his arrival. “Not what you’re planning to do.”

“Hop in, then,” he said, patting the backseat of his bike. There was an extra helmet strapped to it. “You’re about to get mind blown.”

Lio considered telling him he was busy, but he knew Galo well, and the fact that he wouldn’t take no for an answer when he had his mind already set on something -at least not without Lio exhausting his breath. And he was tired; all the pressure of the week weighing on his shoulders, painting dark circles under his eyes.

But most importantly, he missed Galo.

“Fine…” Lio conceded, to which Galo swooped his fist in a call of victory. “But make it short,” he added, knowing full well that it was unlikely to happen.

Galo gave him an annoyingly sincere grin before sliding on the front seat. “You won’t regret it, big boss. Mark my words.”

Lio huffed in lieu of the smile that was threatening to curve his lips, and sat behind him. “Stop calling me that.”

The engine started roaring as Galo adjusted the handles. Lio could see his beam from the side mirrors. “Why? You like it.”

He kicked the pedal, and they went off.

(Lio did like it, in a way that hit differently than when Meis or Gueira said it).

-

As expected, the ride was anything but short. To Galo’s credit, nothing was ever close to the never ending desert that surrounded Promepolis’ borders. They kept going north all the way, and even when there were no buildings in sight yet, Lio knew this desert like the back of his hand. Going to Promepolis a day prior to Kray’s trial was not the greatest idea, but despite being brash and impulsive on occasions, Galo wasn’t careless. That said, it was still hard to figure out why he wanted to take Lio there, and where exactly. Could it be the empty lake again? But that didn’t make much sense in terms of a surprise, did it? And it was all the way across the city.

They crossed the border without more trouble than an uncomfortable interaction with the officer, and continued straight towards the city center. As they left the downtown behind, that familiar smell of rust and decay promptly filled his nostrils. The Parnassus was hard to miss, even more so while taking the city roads rather than the highway. Lio was expecting Galo to continue ahead; instead, he slowed the speed as they approached the ark, taking a u turn straight towards the dirt road leading to it. He parked some fifty meters away from the construction.

After taking the helmet off and stepping away from the bike, all Lio could muster was: “Why?”

The sight alone was enough to raise all his defenses, to set him on edge, his whole body immediately tensing. Galo scratched the back of his head, unsure of whether or not to meet Lio’s gaze. “Will you trust me?” It was different from the Galo who had formerly boasted about blowing his mind, who would casually call him nicknames. There was a time and a place for each, but Lio didn’t mind this side of him –it was the one he wouldn’t show around anyone else. The shadow of Kray Foresight threatened to cloud his thoughts once again, but he pushed it aside.

Lio sighed. “Okay…”

That seemed to be enough for the light to return to Galo’s eyes. His smile wasn’t cocky this time, instead resting calmly on his features, making him glow under the moonlight. He extended a hand to Lio. “Let’s go.”

Lio hesitated for a second before taking his hand, the warmth of Galo’s strikingly present even through the fabric of his gloves. He let himself be guided towards the front of the construction. It was so large in size that the trajectory was the equivalent of walking a few blocks. He refrained from asking Galo why they hadn’t parked closer.

“You’re not thinking of going inside, are you?” He asked instead, cautious.

Galo looked almost offended. “It’s not a surprise if I tell you, is it?”

“It’s still falling apart and we might get–”

“You said you’d trust me.” He interrupted, nudging Lio’s hip. Before he had any chance to protest, he noticed the metallic smell being mixed with something else. Something familiar. _Fire_ and a faint floral aroma. He could hear voices. Once they rounded the corner, the impression left Lio speechless.

Hundreds of candles were laid in semi-circles. Behind them, an equally impressive amount of framed pictures and flower crowns decorated the once portentous gates of the fallen aircraft. Lio recognized a good number of those faces, some of them way too young to be part of a memorial. All of them had their names written in different styles, lovingly decorated with glitter and markers. There was a crowd to witness it, big enough to pay respects but small enough that it still felt intimate. Across the multitude, he recognized Aina’s pink hair and Varys’ towering height. They waved.

Lio felt a knot form in his throat, his eyes becoming glazed and blurry. It had been a long time without that sensation not being caused by rage. This time it was something else entirely, a gentle but powerful tug on his heart.

“Did you do this…?”

“Not me, technically. All of these people did!” He explained with transparent enthusiasm. “Turns out the old lady downstairs from my building has an ex-burnish son. She told me while I was helping her check her stove. Crazy story. Anyways! I was telling her about you and everything that’s been going on, and one thing led to another, and we thought this would be a good idea, you know, to raise you guys’ spirits. So that son contacted his friends who have a bunch of followers, and everyone at Burning Rescue also wanted to join in. Then your guys compiled a list of everyone’s lost f– Lio?” Galo stopped his monologue, worry painted on his face as he noticed Lio’s gaze was lost. “Are you okay?”

Lio in question could barely process Galo’s explanation, too distracted by all the emotions constricting his chest. As the reflection of the flames danced in his magenta eyes, Lio slowly let his fingers intertwine with Galo’s in exchange of words, fearing these might betray his voice.

“Thanks.”

Galo nodded, and gave a squeeze to Lio’s hand. They stood like that for what felt like a long time, basking in the warmth, watching people light their candles, placing teddy bears and letters beside different pictures.

“Kray didn’t win.” Galo broke the silence, quiet determination in his voice. The name stirred something up in Lio, though much tamer than before. He knew Galo’s words lacked any bite or provocation.

“Yet Kray gets to live,” Lio retorted, closing his eyes for a moment.

“And has only a fool like me to pay him a kind thought…” Galo gave a humorless snort. The hurt was clear, him being as transparent as he was. Lio had called him an idiot countless times, but there was something about Galo deprecating himself that didn’t sit right at all. “I haven’t forgotten what he did. It’s just been… Kray was the only thing I had resembling a family after I lost everything, you know? It’s been hard to let go of that. But if they can,” he looked towards the crowd, and a smile made its way back to his lips, “I think I can do it too. With time.”

Lio looked at him, eyes wide and diligent. Galo’s optimism was contagious, and so he finally returned his smile, feeling ten times lighter. “You’re surprisingly mature.”

Galo elbowed him playfully. “Hey! What do you mean ‘surprisingly’? Of course I am!”

After that, they separated to approach the crowd. Lio greeted the people he knew, some of them old residents of his settlement who had recently moved to the city. They were starting to make their own lives, normal lives, away from the desert and the chaos. It would soon be Lio’s turn, too, and the thought was as exciting as it was scary. He’d have to learn to let go of a few things himself, and anger was one of them.

Kray Foresight did _not_ win. Lio wouldn’t let him.

Once it got late and everyone said their goodbyes for the day, Galo insisted for Lio to stay over at his apartment, since the ride to the desert would be taxing at such hour. After calling Meis to make absolutely sure he’d double check and send the document in his stead in a timely manner, they walked back to the parking spot in silence, and Lio wished he had an excuse to hold his hand once more. Perhaps he didn’t need any.

They soon reached the bike, and Galo slid on the front seat. He was ready to get the helmet on when Lio spoke.

“Sorry,” he admitted, “for saying you were kissing his ass.”

“Don’t sweat it. You were pretty hard on me, though.” Although it was clear that Galo appreciated the sentiment, his frisky expression suggested he was expecting Lio to elaborate on his apology. Lio didn’t humor him –not the way he expected, at least.

“Shall I make it up to you?” Lio said, leaning his weight on the bike’s handle. Galo stood still like a monument, instinctively holding his breath, swallowing hard as Lio’s cool breath brushed the skin of his face. His eyes were already half lidded when Lio suddenly pulled back, having retrieved the spare helmet hanging from the opposite handle.

“Wait… what just…” Galo’s face was burning up as much as he claimed his soul did. His expression went from shock to disappointment to judging _the audacity_ Lio had to recoil. He crossed his arms. “You were gonna kiss me just now, weren’t you?!”

Lio smiled. “Why, you wanted me to?”

He was vaguely expecting Galo to cringe at the direct question; instead, he pulled that face he made when he was concentrating too hard, the flush reaching up to the tips of his ears. “Let me at least make you dinner first?”

There wasn’t any good reason to deny the offer now, so Lio just nodded. “Sounds good.” He adjusted his helmet and slid on the back seat. “So? Did that count as a surprise?”

And to _his_ surprise, Galo shook his head. Lio looked puzzled. “Back in the lake… This almost happened, didn’t it?”

Oh, right. _Perceptive_. Perhaps Lio wildly exaggerated how oblivious Galo could be. He allowed himself to hold on tighter this time. “So you’re not that much of an idiot.”

“Guess not.”


End file.
